Author Christina Thompson

So this happened…

I came across the Greenlight Adaption Contest—a contest adapting novels to screenplays and then into movies—and thought, “Sure, why not?” I had extra in my budget. What’s the worst that could happen? A rejection? Please. I’m a writer. It’s part of the job.

I focused on the positives. With hope and excitement, I submitted Chemical Attraction, my romantic thriller. I had no idea what the judges were looking for in their screening process. When I wrote it, I envisioned the movie in my head. Isn’t that what writers and readers do?

Well, the day came to announce the quarterfinalists. I checked my cell phone for an email. Nothing. Okay, moving on. It wasn’t until later that day that I got on my computer. There it was in my spam folder.

“Congratulations on being a quarterfinalist.”

Awesome! I wanted to post on my social media sites, but I texted my husband, our children and my sister instead. To me, this was a big deal. Validation.

Can I make it over the next hurdle? The day of the semifinalist announcement, I checked the website then the results link. What did I see? The cover art of Chemical Attraction.

Checking out the amazing stories, covers, and authors, I knew I had stiff competition. Doubt seeped in. I’m not a runner. Can I make it over the next hurdle to become a finalist? The battle in my head volleyed between of course and of course not. Again, I withheld the news. Only one other friend knew—a fellow writer, who also steps out of her comfort zone for her passions.

Then, I watched the video announcing the finalists—a tiny taste of what Oscar and Emmy nominations felt like. Announcer James Northway called out the third finalist out of the ten: “Chemical Attraction by Christina Thompson.”

I’m in? No joke? I had to watch the clip two more times to make sure I didn’t imagine it.

Holy Moly, I’m a finalist! I would receive a crystal award no matter what happened next. Still not wanting to jinx my chances, I withheld my excitement from social media. I did send the link to my publisher at 48fourteen. Juanita Samborski’s the reason I was a finalist after all. With the release of last year’s The Kindred Code, the three other books in the Chemical Attraction Series received new covers and were put in chronological order. (I had previously referred to The Kindred Code as the sequel to the prequel…too much of a mouthful. 48fourteen agreed.)

When I asked my son where I should put my award, he mockingly knocked all of his Air Force medals and memorabilia displayed on a bookshelf onto the floor. His funny gesture made my heart soar. He understood how hard I worked as a writer. He shared my excitement.

Now another ten days of waiting…

How do I not think about the possibilities? How do I productively pass the time until the announcement? My concentration level now at a new low. I needed busy work. Our house is cleaner than it’s ever been. We also have two organized junk drawers.

Finally, Greenlight made the announcement. I didn’t win.

So what happens now? Like always, I keep preparing for the next opportunity. I keep working hard. I keep taking chances. I keep pushing through my comfort zone.